BRANCHED POLY(ETHYLENE IMINE) SUPPORT FOR RESINS WITH RETENTION PROPERTIES FOR HEAVY-METAL IONS

A crosslinked poly(ethylene imine), using epichlorohydrin as crosslink er, was prepared and subsequently modified in order to obtain the corr esponding N-methylated, N-carboxymethylated and N-phosphonomethylated derivatives. The sorption characteristics of these functionalized resi ns were studied by a batch equilibration technique, for uptake of Cu(I I), Fe(II), Fe(III) and uranyl ions from aqueous solution. Resins with tertiary amine or ammonium groups show negligible sorption for Fe(II) , Fe(III) and Cu(II) at pH 1, in contrast with high sorption for U(VI) , which is readily eluted with sodium carbonate.